Wire drawing method



l Patented June19, 1934 UNITED STA wins nmwmc amnion Flint 0. Elder, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey No 1mm. Application July 23, 192

Serial No. ssoaca 1 Claims. (Cl. 20541") This invention relates to the manufacture of wire and rods, and while not limited thereto, relates more particularly to the manufacture of lubricated wire and rods which are primarily in- 8 tended for reworking in the manufacture of rlvets, bolts and similar articles which are cold worked in suitable dies and require a lubricated surface.

Heretofore various lubricants such as oilsand l greases have been used to lubricate the wire and rods prior to their being worked to form rivets, bolts and the like. These lubricants clogged the dies and cause the production of imperfect workpieces.

The wire and rods manufactured according to this invention have a dry lubricating coating that remains on the metal even during and after the reworking of the wire so that it not only. serves as a lubricant to protect the dies but also 80 does not clog the dies, the result being that the dies are able to produce perfectly formed workpieces.

In carrying out this invention the wire or rods are first cleaned to remove all scale, grease and other foreign matter, and then given a coating of lime and baked. The limecoated wire or rodsarethendrawntofinalgageusinganovel lubricant consisting of a mixture of aluminum stearate or other metallic stearate insoluble in water, and hydrated lime, which is drawn into the die with the wire or rods. The resultant products are wire or rods having a surface comprising a fixed impregnated coating of the lubricating compound. I

as Careistakenickeepallgreaseorotherforeign matter from coming in contact with the wire or rods after-they are cleaned and prior to their being reworked.

Afterthewire orrodsarecleanedtheymay,in

so some instances, be given either a heevy'or light sull coat although this is not always essential and is eliminated when particularly bright stock is desired. In order to form a sull coat the cleaned rodsarekeptmoistforatimebymeansoffine gg sprays of water. The action of this water, to-

gether with that of the oxygen of the atmosphere andtracesofacidwhichmaystillbeontherods fromthecleaningoperatiomformaooatingof a faint brownish or greenish'rust or sull.

Thelihiecoatingmaybeappliedaseithera coldlightdiporasahotheavycoatingasde' Themixtureofalumimnnstearateandhydrat- 'edlime preferably used ass lubricant may be [.mixedinvariousmWaeeordingtothe results desired. For instance, the following proportions have been used to advantage:

Parts by volume Aluminum stearate 5-4-6 5 Hydrated lime..." 4-5-3 It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the above proportions, however, since many other proportions may be used with good results, and other insoluble metallic stearates may also be substituted for the aluminum stearate.

.The wire pr rods having the coating of this invention are characterized by the fact that the coating adheres to and remains an integral part 0 of the metal even after the stock has been worked by cold forging in dies to form rivets, bolts and similar articles having upset heads, extruded shanks and the like.

After the workpieces are formed from the out ed wire or rods of this invention they may be heat treated and the lubricating coating will then be destroyed.

While Ihave described one particular use for the, wire and rods made in accordance with this invention it will be specifically understood that I do not wish to be limited to said use, since such wire and rods may be used for many purposes wherever reworking is necessary, and also as welding electrodes and .the like.

-While I have described certain specific steps and sequence of steps in setting forth the above practical embodiments of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto s'ince various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of wire, rods and the like, the steps consisting of cleaning the workpiece to remove allforeign matter, coating said workpiece with lime, and then drawing said lime coated workpiece through a suitable die with a lubricant consisting of a mixture of aluminum stearate and hydrated lime to reduce its gage and cause said lubricant to form an impregnated coating on said workpiece.

2. In the manufacture of wire, rods and the like, the steps'consisting of cleaning the workpiece to remove all foreign matter, forming a sull coating on said cleaned workpiece, coating said workpiece with lime, and then drawing said lime coated workpiece through a suitable die with a lubricant consisting of a mixture of aluminum steerete and to reduce its me and no cause said lubricant to form an impregnated coating on said workpiece.

3. In the manufacture of wire rods and the like the steps consisting of cleaning the workpiece to remove all foreign matter, coating said work-piece with lime and then drawing said lime coated work-piece through a suitable die with a lubricant consisting of a mixture of a metallic stearate insoluble in water and hydrated lime to reduce its gage and cause said lubricant to form an impregnated coating on said work-piece.

4. In the manufacture of wire rods and the like the steps consisting of cleaning the workpiece to remove all foreign matter, forming a 51111 coating on said cleaned workpiece, coating said work-piece with lime and then drawing said lime coated work-piece through a suitable die with a lubricant consisting of a mixture of a metallic stearate insoluble in water and hydrated lime to reduce its gage and cause said lubricant to form an impregnated coating on said work-piece.

5. A wire or rod drawing lubricant comprising a mixture of a metallic stearate insoluble in water and hydrated lime.

6. A wire or rod drawing lubricant comprising a mixture of a metallic stearate insoluble in water and lime.

7. A wire or rod drawing lubricant comprising a mixture of a metallic stearate insoluble in water and a calcareous material, said mixture being composed of from four to six parts by volume of the metallic stearate and of from three to five parts of calcareous material.

FLINT C. EIDER. 

